Justin Jarvinen

Father, innovation practitioner, and wannabe chef in Lake Bluff, Illinois

Read my blog

Hi, I'm Justin.

Some people call me JJ. But I’ll respond to just about anything. So, here’s what I do during a normal week day.

I get up and stumble to the kitchen for some hot coffee. My kids have either been up for hours or they’re rolling out of bed themselves, depending on how late we stayed up the night before. My wife has been up since 5:30 regardless. We spend time together eating, watching cartoons, getting dressed—you know, the normal family stuff. Then I take my kids to camp or school while my wife runs off to work.

Being an innovation practitioner and entrepreneur has afforded me the ability to spend the type of time with my family I think so many people aren’t able to. So I consider myself incredibly blessed in that regard. I’ve learned over the years how to manage my time—and harness my creative ideas—in a way that enables me to have quality time while also being productive in business.

I think one of the most important attributes in a person is curiosity. I see it in my kids when they witness something for the first time. I love watching how they process the information in front of them—and decide what to do with it. Decision making fascinates me and I’ve dedicated the last 10 years of my career trying to figuring it all out. I’m in to neuroeconomics and love applying what I study to the practice of motivating consumers through new products, marketing, or techniques that can be used all throughout a business, such as onboarding new customers.

I like to think I can see around corners.

I’m a little weird in that way, but I have this driving compulsion to want to discover something new or different. I think it’s a quality of mine that makes me both qualified—and unique—in my role as a Chief Innovation Officer. New markets, models, products and techniques are my thing. I’m on a quest to discover things I don't already know. Ignorance, in this particular sense is a good thing and I’ve become pretty good at finding answers that, until that moment, were unknown.

After a full day of work, I’ll plan dinner. Last night was Wild Chanterelle Mushroom & Caramelized Shallot Risotto. Tonight I might fire up the grill.Then the kids come home, and my wife comes home. We’ll eat, play and head to bed (unless we fire up the firepit first!).

Life is good. Tomorrow we’ll do it all over again.

  • Work
    • Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.
  • Education
    • Northwestern University